This invention relates to an improved measuring bridge employed in the repair of damaged motor vehicles.
Before a damaged motor vehicle can be repaired, it is necessary to determine the extent to which the location of various datum points on the vehicle deviates from manufacturer's specifications. Repair is then achieved by reforming damaged portions of the vehicle until all datum points have been returned to the proper relative positions. Proper repair of body damage is particularly important in vehicles which do not have a frame since accurate body alignment is essential for proper vehicle suspension and steering.
Systems for measuring the alignment of vehicle bodies are commonly called measuring bridges. Such assemblies generally include a fixed frame having a plurality of support fixtures upon which the vehicle is supported by engaging key datum points. The location of such key datum points is different for most automobile models and particularly those employing the uni-body construction. As a result, most prior art measuring bridges require a different set of support and measuring fixtures for almost every automobile model and body style. This substantially increases the cost of such systems, particularly as the result of a proliferation of new models which require the continued aquisition of additional fixtures.
A further disadvantage of prior art measuring bridges was that they required partial disassembly of the motor vehicle before measurements could commence. For example, some measuring bridges required the removal of the vessel suspension and/or the engine in order to determine the location of key points such as the McPherson strut anchoring points. This was a costly and time consuming operation.
Costs were also increased in some prior art systems as a result of the manner in which measurements were made. For example, it was a common practice to employ a tape for determining the relative distance between certain vehicle data points. This required the operator to have an assistant for holding one end of the tape.
Another shortcoming with prior art measuring bridges is that many determine the position of vehicle datum points relative to a fixed location on the bridge itself. However, published manufacturer's specifications normally provide information regarding the distance between various locations on the vehicle. As a result, many prior art measuring bridges require special charts for converting manufacturer's published specifications to bridge measurements.